South Korean Baseball Players Suspected of Online Casino Gambling
South Korean law enforcement is investigating several professional baseball players who are suspected of illegal online gambling. Some of the nation's most prominent players are on the list of at least ten individuals who have allegedly gambled thousands of dollars at online casinos.
Prosecutors have confirmed that the suspects played high-stakes baccarat at an Internet gambling site. A spokesmen for the prosecution said, "We examined whether other people borrowed the players' names for membership of the gambling site, but we secured evidence that the players themselves gambled."
Investigators say they will soon begin individual questioning of the players. Meanwhile, detectives are examining player bank accounts to see if there is evidence of illegal gambling at other sites.
Some of the players reportedly quit gambling, as the site owner was suspicious that they had won by hacking the system, and threatened to tell the players' teams of their illegal involvement.
South Korean baseball has seen a series of gambling scandals. Star pitcher Oh Sang-min lost over $40,000 and a car to the operators of a gambling den in Daegu, leading to his blackmail by the location owner. Ex-player and current television personality Kang Byung-kyu has been charged with playing online baccarat, losing reportedly almost a million dollars.
